Lovers Of Vintage: Karen Tippett-Lehane, Vintage Lover No 1

Welcome everyone to the Lovely's Vintage Emporium blog.

From time to time we will be chatting to cool people who are into vintage fashion and homes. We will talk to them about their vintage loves and look at how they dress themselves and their houses.

Our first Vintage Lover is UK vintage style queen and travel and beauty PR Karen Tippett-Lehane.

1. Describe your life in five words. 

Family. Friends. Family. Friends. Work.

2. Describe your vintage fashion style in five words.

Comfort with a colour splash.

3. Why do you buy and wear vintage fashion? 

I’ve always loved vintage fashion, and in general clothes and looks with a back story. I bought my first piece while at college in Japan – a Sixties wedding dress that I wore and wore all through uni. We also used to pick up Sixties and Seventies pieces from flea markets in Paris when we were students there. We’d use both for daily outfits and accessorised at themed parties.

My father was a teen dad, and I have really fond memories of seeing his 'going out out' look, from full-length wide lapelled leather coats to platform shoes, and I loved the bold prints of his male and female friends from that era.  I also love that vintage fashion allows a certain originality in an overall outfit, and its sustainability contribution is obviously very important to us all.

4. Favourite vintage fashion piece in your wardrobe and why? 

My Lovely’s Vintage Emporium sequinned Sixties bolero jacket – it’s literally Diana Ross goes to the Grammys circa 1965! Dresses up any outfit.

5. Favourite vintage fashion decade and why? 

Sixties and Seventies. Hands down. I love the boldness, the freedom of expression that was gaining momentum during that era, the confidence of it and the statements made. 

It reminds me of my Dad, centre of the social scene, all his ships sailing, strutting around our home town with a fabulous afro! He has always been my style reference, him, his friends and their girlfriends during that era. In fact, he remains my reference on all things life – as bold in his style as he was in his principles, work ethic, capacity to love and to speak up and do the right thing regardless of the consequences.

6. Most memorable moment when wearing vintage fashion? 

Lovely’s Vintage Emporium is so well curated that I get so many compliments when I wear vintage from the site, from jewellery to capes and jackets.  My most memorable moment would have to be securing an amazing leopard print coat from singer Toyah’s collection, and being asked to name my price to sell it on.  I didn’t obviously, it just confirmed that it looks EPIC! I was delighted.

7. Tell us about your working day and what you wear to work? 

Comfort with a bit of personality is my motto.  Black skinny jeans, staple black polo dressed up with funky trainers and a clash of a jacket.

8. Tell us about your weekends and what you wear at them? 

Weekends are for family, first and foremost my husband and cat Curtis, closely followed by my siblings, best friends and two gorgeous god daughters.  Country walks, brunches and boutique browsing, cinema, SLEEP. My staple weekend wardrobe is typical dress-down jeans and soft knitwear, UV tinted moisturiser and trainers. Weekends where we’ve been invited to parties?  Skinny jeans, Chloe boots (I’m not as sorry as I should be that I bought them, but they go with EVERYTHING) and my Lovely’s Vintage Emporium sequinned bolero. When I make an effort for brunch I love the compliments I get from wearing one of my Lovely’s Vintage Emporium Sixties capes - my fave is the short, waistcoat in cream and brown.  I get asked about it every time I wear it.

9. Favourite vintage film? 

The Harder They Come – memories of reggae-filled evenings when I was little and should have been in bed. This film was played on a loop

10. Favourite vintage book? 

Colette’s Le Ble En Herbe - One of the (many) reasons I fell in love with French literature.

 *Karen Tippett-Lehane is the owner of TippettPR & Social Limited. She represents Elite Island Resorts Caribbean, Ultrasun & skinSense by Abi Cleeve www.tippettpr.com @tippettpr